Don't Let the Culture Die

Today me and my assignment group mates go for an interview of people who do Chinese opera at a temple near my hostel because there is a festival of Birthday of one of the Chinese God, Guan Di. We interviewed the boss and also the performer, and the boss told us that this is maybe the last generation of this opera group already because there is no youngster want to learn this kind of art or continue the culture. I feel sad for that, because this is consider one of the culture or art of the Chinese people in Malaysia if this culture is gone, there is not much more cultures that we Chinese people can tell or show to the other races.

This is a small opera group which contain mostly their own family members and friends only. One of the grandson of the boss is about 10-13 years old and he can play very well music of the opera. We have the chance to watch their performance but we found out that there was no people are watching their performance. There is a table of teenagers playing 'UNO' at the table beside and all the people around is just doing their own thing. Although they have no audiences, they also very focus and performed it very well and their acting is so good. I think they are not aim for the people to watch their performance but to perform for the God.

One of the little kid take some roasted pork for us and also give us candies and also water. We are well treated and they all are very friendly to us and we also talk with one of the performers about her family and so on. In this interview I learned a lots of things and not because of the assignment I won't be able to know more about my own race culture.

LY - 513

There was an incident that I think it is quite similar to the 13 May incident happened recently. Where there phone stealing case and turn into a conflict between the Chinese and the Malay. I think the people of Malaysia should think clearly before they taking actions so that the incidences like 13 May and the Low Yat case will not happen again.

This Low Yat incident happened because of a Malay stole a phone and get caught and then bring his friend back to the shop of the people who caught them to 'buat kacau', after they get beaten up by the major race who work in the Low Yat mall which is the Chinese. Some stupid Facebook page try to twist the story and spread the fake rumors of those Chinese people trying to cheat their money by selling them not genuine phone. The Malay people get angry with those fake news and then rally around the Low Yat mall and beat up some innocent Chinese people. For me, I think this is a criminal case and not a race issue and I don't know why they have to act so aggressively before they know the truth, same as the May 13 incident, there is just a political issue and they turn it into a racial issue.

Most of the artist in Malaysia think that the May 13 incident is that death of Malaysia , as we can see pro the artist Redza Piyadasa artwork where the coffin with the Malaysia flag is wrap around it, it is also looks like a funeral for Malaysia during that time period.

 I heard that the Low Yat incident is created to cover up an issue before it and to draw away people's attention of the previous issue. I hope that the incidences of  May 13 and Low Yat will not happen again in the future, not only among Malay and Chinese but also other races in Malaysia.

 Handsome

 

Just Do It

Last Tuesday, our lecture has invited a guest speaker Tan Zi Hao to give a speech during our lecture time. He showed us some of his artwork that he did in the class, some just show us by pictures in the computer, some he has bring it to the class.

From his speech I had learned that we actually use anything to form our artwork. For example the artwork that he bring and show us in the class, 'The soil is not mine', this artwork he is using the soil and also his sperm to do the artwork. He said that he will do an artwork although he know that he might end up in the jail. I not really understand those artists thinking, but I can feel their passion to show their art to people. So, just do what you want to do.

The soil is not mine by Tan Zi Hao, taken from http://www.tanzihao.net/The-Soil-is-Not-Mine-2013

Artworks

What is Malaysia artwork ?
To me, Malaysia artworks are the artworks that created by Malaysian artists. No matter the content is about Malaysia or not, or no matter what kind of art form it it, as long as it is created by a Malaysian.

What event is so significant do you think we should feature in Malaysia artwork ?
In my opinion, every kind of events that happen in Malaysia can be feature in the artwork no matter it is positive or negative. If they are featuring the negative events that happened in the country, it is just base on the facts and reality and also artists have the freedom to create what they want. If a artist is controlled by rules, there is no more creativity in the artwork. 

Is it the responsibility  of a Malaysian artist to create a Malaysia artwork ?
Abuden? Sure my answer is yes! If it is not the responsibility of Malaysian artist to create a Malaysia artwork then who else? Is it Bangladesh artist's? Definitely not. No matter what kind of artworks of Malaysian artists create, their responsibility is not to let them die and keep making it works, no matter it is showing the negative side of our country, as long as the people is enjoying it and got people appreciate it.

Conclusion, we must always support and appreciate the artworks of Malaysian artists.

Nama Wee Babi?

This week in the tutorial class lecturer show us the most famous video of Namewee during year 2007 which is the "Negarakuku". This video is about Namewee who sing and change the lyrics of our national anthem with rap about the facts that happening inside our country. This song was causing him a lots of trouble, making him very famous and also making a lots of people hate him and also he made the Malays who hate him called him "Nama Wee Babi". Actually I have been listen to his song since a few years before this issue happen, which is the song "Kawanku" & also the "Muar Chinese", I found that his songs are very funny and very true about those facts and also the song is very modernize and very catchy when he rap. In the song "Kawanku" he is also sing to 'shoot' some facts but not only in this country but he only get in to trouble after he sing the "Negarakuku" because many people say he didn't respect the national anthem. In the song "Negarakuku" his lyrics is sound so positive and also the MV also very positive, but if you are a Malaysian Chinese, you may understand the song in another way which he is 'shooting' some people. Although he is 'shooting' the things that really happen in the country , he is still love this country, maybe is because this is the land where he born and also the place where he grown up. 

And now I'm going off topic. I saw many of my friend's blog, they are writing about the same sex marriage which now is so viral in the Facebook. Many of my Facebook friends also changed their profile picture in the rainbow color to show that they are supporting the legalize of same sex marriage, but some of them is against it due to some religion problem or some of them will think that there will be more LGBT in the society. In my opinion, I am on the neutral side, I don't think that LGBT will increase after the legalize of same sex marriage because there will be LGBT no matter the marriage is legalize or not. Furthermore, marriage is just like a contract for them, either it is legalize or not as long as the couple is always living together happily, that's enough. That's all for this week, k thx bye ~

Negarakuuuuu ~

Negaraku  Tanah tumpahnya darahku Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan Raja kita Selamat bertakhta Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan Raja kita Selamat bertakhta ~ This week in the class, Dr. Carmen told us a lots about Malaysia's history. It's quite fresh to me because last time when secondary school, I was very hate history subject and I fall asleep when I took the text book hahahaha, but this time I was paying attention maybe is because she told us the story in a more interesting way. Last time I have heard about the May 13 incident but I was not very clear about it, but now I quite clear already. In the tutorial class, we were asked to form a group of 4 and make our own national anthem after we knew about how our original national anthem come from. After I discuss with Shirley, Vivian and Colney, here is the national anthem that made by us. *DJ, drop the beat !! "Negaraku   它的名字是 Malaysia   Ada Cina,   Melayu dan India  Now We teach you  How to say thank you Terima Kasih , Xie Xie and Nandri   Malaysians, Jaganlah racist la~ " Something like this hahahahha. We want to make it contain many language and also the words  Malaysia is also mentioned. The song also mentioned the 3 biggest ethnics groups in Malaysia, we also want the Malaysians always be thankful and don't be racist among themselves. The lyric is quite funny because the 'kicks' cannot come.  And that's all from me for this week. :D

Another Country

I went to Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC) to watch a play which produced by W!LD RICE Production, the title is Another Country. It's the first time I watch a professional theatrical drama performance because I miss my chance to watch the Naruto Live stage performance  last month, sad~  :'( . Another Country is directed by Jo Kukathas & Ivan Heng, curated by Leow Puay Tin & Alfin Sa'at. It's telling the history of Malaysia and Singapore from the 19th century until recent years by using many short stories.

There are two parts of this performance, which are the Singapore part and the Malaysian part. The Singaporean's actors are doing the Malaysia's part which they let the audiences to draw for the sequences of the stories that they will perform, while the Malaysian's actor are doing the Singapore's part which they following the chronological order. I think that all the performers  or actors are very professional, they're very rich with face expressions.  

Most of the stories I not really know what they are trying to tell because my history is not that good , but there are one of the Singapore part which catch my attention is the story of a woman is finding her cat. There are a old Chinese man who only speak Hokkien and a old Indian lady who only speak Tamil noth are looking for their own cat. Although they both speak different language but they use their body language to make one other to understand it. I'm a Hokkien and I also took Tamil until level 2 so i quite understand what they both are talking about. Hahahahahah . 

What surprise me most in this performance is when the Malaysia team they took off their pants. I thought this is an Islamic country and they will be more careful about the Aurat issue, because there are also Malay's performers. That's why Dr.Carmen told us in the class that they sure 'Koyak' is the perform at the Malaysia largest performing theater.

I think the performance is worth to watch for me because it's new thing to me and I learned a lots from there. That's all from me for this week ~ :D